


No need to change a thing

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Crossdressing, Family Dynamics, Gen, Gender Identity, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Protective Siblings, Talking To Dead People, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 08:05:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17915024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: “You should have let me kill them,” Diego grit out as he dropped another piece of blood-speckled glass into the container. “You’re a fucking idiot."“Yeah, because murder would look really good on the resume of a cop, retired or not.” Klaus’ voice was muffled, his head still pressed face-first onto the table. “Besides, I’m just glad somebody noticed how nice I looked today.”No matter what they do, the Hargreeves still manage to find trouble wherever they go, even if it's just to get groceries. On this particular occasion, however, Klaus is in need of some reassurance from his siblings and Ben is always going to be there to make sure he receives it.





	No need to change a thing

They announce their presence in the estate as they often did- in a whirlwind of chaos, Klaus giggling uncontrollably and Diego hissing curses so strong that it caused the others to sprint down the steps from their respective rooms as fast as their limbs can take them. Five, as he so often did, made it to the ground floor before any of them and they all watched the shouting and angry, wordless growling take place.

Diego was plucking shards of glass from Klaus’ scalp, Number 4 with his head and arms folded over themselves on the table, a cigarette dangling from his limp fingers. It was burning, but it didn’t seem to have been used yet, no sight of the dark lipstick Klaus had applied before he and Diego had left was around the crisp white wrapping, so apparently he was satisfied to just let it burn. “You should have let m-me kill them,” Diego grit out as he dropped another piece of blood-speckled glass into the container. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

“Yeah, because murder would look really good on the resume of a cop, retired or not.” Klaus’ voice was muffled, his head still pressed face-first onto the table. “Besides, I’m just glad somebody noticed how nice I looked today.”

Luther thundered down the stairs and straight towards them, taking stock of the fury in Diego’s face and the blood-coated chips of glass that was slowly accumulating into a growing pile in the plastic container sitting on the table. “What the hell happened? I thought you were just going out for groceries, not to get into bar fights?” He sent a pointed look at Diego who ignored him. “I remember asking you not to let him get anything he shouldn’t have.”

“Shut up Ben,” Klaus muttered under his breath before he sat up and looked his brother in the eye. The others were taken aback by the blood running down his face from his hairline. He waved the cigarette at Luther. “Funny, how little trust you guys have in me. I did not, in fact, go to a bar, and this is not, unfortunately, a joint. Just a normal cigarette from the local servo. So shove that up your ass.” He spat before dropping his head back down to the table. Luther sent Diego a confused look.

Sighing, Diego gratefully took the wet towel that Allison handed to him with a small smile and dabbed it lightly on Klaus’ bleeding scalp. “The groceries are waiting outside,” he nodded towards the door and Five disappeared in a burst of blue light. “We went to the servo to get Klaus a normal pack of cigarettes just to see if they helped, and while we were there these fucking guys walked in.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Vanya sighed as she watched Klaus flinch when Diego pulled out a particularly large glass shard that was embedded much deeper than the others. “What did you do?”

“I would like to interject to let you know that I was completely fine,” Klaus said, waving his hand. Smoke curled up the tip of the cigarette from his fingers. “I wasn’t worried. And I am very capable of taking care of myself. Now, brother mine, are you almost done? My ciggy is dying and I would very much like to get just one drag in before it burns out.”

Rolling his eyes, Diego pulled away and Klaus sat up and placed the cigarette to his lips. “I’m not done, so don’t think this gets you out of it,” Diego warned. “I don’t want you running about with glass in your head.” Klaus blew smoke in his face but remained seated.

Luther rubbed at his nose and resisted the urge to sigh. “Can somebody please tell me what the fuck happened?”

“Some assholes at the service station gave Klaus shit while I was paying,” Diego’s hands shook as he tried his hardest to keep his anger in check. “They hit him over the head with a glass bottle while m-my back was turned. He had to drag m-me out of there before I killed them all.”

“I told you I was fine,” Klaus shrugged, cigarette butt ground under his foot and was now winding the blood-speckled towel around his fingers. “It was you who got all offended and starting throwing your knives at that poor vender’s shop. I know how to fend for myself.”

Five appeared beside the others, fixing his cuff-links and frowning down at the bloodied towel that Klaus was playing with. “Well, perhaps you should think twice about leaving the house wearing… that.” He said disdainfully, but it was targeted more at the rag coated in his own blood than the clothes.

Klaus looked down at himself. A pair of fishnet stockings, a glittery knee-length skirt, a shredded tee and a black jacket that hung loosely under his shoulders. His pink shoes were the brightest thing he was wearing including his makeup and he frowned as he glanced around the room at his siblings. “I didn’t think it was that bad,” He pouted. “I was going to wear that dress Allison brought for me but I thought that would embarrass Diego. What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Nothing,” Vanya said. “But not everyone out in the real world is as accepting or nice as us. We don’t care what you wear, even though most of the things you wear belong to me and Allison. The outside world isn’t so forgiving on people who are different.”

Pausing for a moment, Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “Well, fuck the real world.” He said defiantly, his voice filled with spite. “I don’t owe it or anyone else anything. I’ve earned the freedom to wear whatever the fuck I want and I don’t think anyone has the right to tell me otherwise.”

“I mean, I can’t disagree.” Luther sighed, placing a hand on Klaus’ shoulder. “But I don’t want you going out all the time getting hurt for no reason. That’s almost as bad is finding you over-dosed in the gutter somewhere.”

As they spoke, Diego had crept up behind Klaus and brought the tweezer’s back to his scalp. He plucked some more glass from his head before Klaus knew what was happening and he jumped with a shriek of surprise. “And I don’t want to patch you up every night from a fight. An unnecessary one at that.”

“I wasn’t going to fight them,” Klaus scoffed and admired his freshly painted nails that could probably do with another coat of glitter. “I was just going to look crazy and scare them off. Anyway, I wouldn’t have fought them unless they gave me a reason to.”

Allison laughed and ran a hand through Klaus’ hair, rearranging the messy strands into a more acceptable order. He didn’t have the energy to stop her, but Diego slapped her hand away before she could mess up the glass shards and make them harder to extract. “God knows you of all people don’t need a reason to get into a fight.”

Klaus shrugged but there was a smile playing on the edges of his lips. “What can I say? I like a good fight. Really gets me going, you know?”

There was a collective groan from the rest of his siblings that was only drowned out by Klaus’ loud satisfied cackling that seemed to echo around the empty halls.

* * *

  Diego had demanded that Klaus stayed in bed until he was sure his scalp had stopped bleeding so with the lights out in mansion and the rest of his siblings undoubtedly talking about him downstairs, Klaus was alone in his room with nobody but Ben for company. Which really didn’t mean he was alone if he thought about it. Ben was looking at him, though, with a dark sort of look that Klaus couldn’t really identify but that expression on anyone else’s face could only mean one thing. “Are you mad at me?”

Sighing, Ben shook his head. “No, I’m not. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Disappointed then?”

“Klaus, stop that.” Ben stood up from where he was sitting on the window sill, his legs folded over each other and made his way to the food of the bed. Klaus knew he didn’t need to, but he moved his legs to make room for Ben’s body anyway. “It’s not you. I guess I’m just… sad. Those guys had no reason to attack you today but they did it anyway. If Diego wasn’t there I don’t know what would have happened.”

Klaus scoffed and pulled a deck of cards onto his lap, just to have something to fiddle with. “They weren’t going to hurt me.”

“I was more worried about you hurting them,” Ben laughed. “You don’t need an assault on your record on top of the other shit, even if it was in self-defence. We both know you would have beaten them within an inch of their lives.”

“Damn right,” Klaus agreed with a nod. He was silent for a moment as Ben looked out the window at the slowly setting sun and Klaus had his eyes fixed firmly on the deck between his fingers. “Do you… do you agree with them?”

“Agree with what, Klaus?”

In all honesty, the words burned his throat on the way up, but he had started it and Klaus intended to finish it. “Do you think I should wear different things? Stop putting on so much make-up and wearing dresses and the girl’s things?”

The incredulous look Ben gave him made Klaus’ heart grow a few sizes. “What the fuck are you talking about? Of course, I don’t. If I thought that I would have told you years ago. What do I care if you wear skirts and nail polish and high heels? It’s none of my business, it’s your life and you can wear whatever you want.”

“Awh, I knew you cared,” Klaus grinned, leaning back into his pillows, very much relieved. “Thanks,” he added as an afterthought. “I was worried that I would have to change just to leave the house. Because you know- apparently the ‘real world’ doesn’t like people who are ‘different’.”

Ben gave him a long glance as Klaus buried himself into his pillows and closed his eyes. “Well, you’re as different as they come. Who told you that?”

Klaus waved his hands dismissively, his body already relaxing into the gentle lull of sleep. “One of the others. Don’t worry about it, I don’t care anymore. Old news, you know babes?”

Rolling his eyes, Ben shifted until he was lying beside Klaus on the bed and rolled them again when his brother pulled the covers over him, forgetting momentarily that it didn’t matter to Ben and prepared to close his eyes and shut his eyes along with his brother when there was a soft knock on the door. Klaus hummed a sleepy sound and Diego pushed his way into the room. He frowned and his eyes darted around as if he was completely surprised at the diminutive size of the bedroom and smiled down at Klaus. “How are you doing buddy? Wow, I haven’t been in here in ages. Has this really been your room for all these years?”

“All my life, yeah.” Klaus yawned and glared at Ben from where he stared daggers into Diego. “That’s what happens when you’re not in dads “top three favourites” list. But I’m all good- thanks for checking in with me.”

Diego had the grace to feel guilty. “Well, I’m just glad you’re alright. Sorry if I was a little overbearing back there. I really didn’t like the way they treated you.”

“Well, don’t worry, brother dear.” Klaus stretched his hands above his head and grinned at Diego through half-lidded eyes. “I’ve been treated worse, as you should very much know by now. But it’s fine- you did what you could. And I probably should have known what would happen- it happens every time really.”

Frowning, Diego stuck his hands in his pockets and scuffed his feet across the dirty floor. “Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t think you need to change a thing.”

“Apart from the drinking, and the drugs, and the-”

“You get m-my point,” Diego shook his head as the door closed behind him but both Ben and Klaus heard him sniggering as he strolled down the steps.

Ben settled in beside Klaus once again and Klaus closed his eyes. “Well, that could have gone worse.”

He didn’t receive any reply because Klaus was already asleep, loud snores leaving his mouth and his arms folded underneath him in what Ben could only assume was an uncomfortable position, fast asleep. Smiling, Ben settled back down and longed to wrap his arms around his brother as they slept but was for the moment content to just let him rest.


End file.
